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The Iranian Merchant Marine Syndicate (IMMS) and ISWAN have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together to improve the lives of seafarers in Iran.

ISWAN has been working with partner organisations to widen its international reach, and appointed a volunteer
last year to help provide direct support to seafarers and their families in Iran.

This MOU with IMMS outlines the ways in which the two organisations will cooperate for the benefit of seafarers and their families in Iran, including:

• Providing humanitarian and mental health support to seafarers and their families in need in Iran and making financial aid available to those in emergency situations
• Providing free training services to seafarers and students at maritime training institutes in Iran
• Encouraging Iranian ports to provide welfare services to seafarers in line with provisions in the MLC 2006, as amended

ISWAN’s International Operations Manager Chirag Bahri said:

‘We are pleased to enter into this working relationship with one of the ITF affiliates in Iran, IMMS, a maritime union, to further the objective of providing support to seafarers, both Iranians as well as those visiting Iran by merchant vessels. Improving the wellbeing of seafarers is one of the key priorities – in the past, we have worked closely with IMMS to provide humanitarian support to the crew and families of fishing vessels held in captivity by Somali pirates and enable them to stand on their own again and regain their livelihood.’